Discord provides an incredibly valuable free service for communicating with our communities. However, developing and maintaining the infrastructure for over 150 million monthly active users generates significant operating costs.
To help offset expenses, Discord introduced its Nitro subscription service back in 2017. For $9.99/month, Nitro unlocks various cosmetic perks like animated emojis, larger file uploads, and a custom tag.
The Purpose Behind Nitro
The Nitro subscription was never intended to be essential for using Discord. The core functionality remains free for everyone. Instead, Nitro caters to dedicated users who spend enough time on Discord to value additional customization and support the upkeep of the platform.
Without Nitro revenue, Discord would likely resort to more intrusive advertising or selling user data to turn a profit. By retaining its privacy-focused business model financed through optional subscriptions, Discord can stay advertiser-free and focused on community needs.
Ethical Use of Promotions
Discord sometimes offers free Nitro trials or extensions to attract new subscribers. While tempting to take advantage of these promotions exclusively for free perks, it violates the spirit behind them and deprives Discord of revenue needed to operate sustainably.
The ethical course of action is to use trials/promotions honestly: sampling Nitro to inform a potential paid subscription. Even if we don‘t subscribe long-term, we can support Discord in other ways.
Alternative Support Options
For those unable to afford Nitro, or who have reflected and chosen not to purchase, consider alternative ways to back Discord as a valued service:
- Active Engagement: Participating respectfully and reporting violative content helps Discord build trust with community leaders needed to grow.
- Feedback: Providing user insights on features and changes you find valuable or concerning is crucial for Discord to prioritize the right issues.
- Promotion: Organically sharing Discord when relevant allows the platform to expand sustainably.
The path that best aligns with our principles may differ between individuals. Through thoughtful evaluation of our own actions, we can each contribute to Discord‘s continued success in a way that feels right.
